“The beginning of the season this year feels like the end of the season last year when we were about to go to the playoffs. The days of darkness are over.”

Gladue plans to be outside Rogers Place all afternoon Wednesday ahead of the home opener against Calgary, banging his drum to the tune of Let’s Go Oilers.

He remembers being 12 years old and cheering madly during an Oilers’ Stanley Cup parade. Eight months from now, he hopes to do it again — a prediction hockey analysts agree is a legitimate possibility.

Of course, expectations can be a doubled-edged sword.

In past years, fans would hope for the best, but also knew to expect the worst. This season, with expectations sky-high for the team, fans are dealing with pressure they haven’t felt in a long while.

“The anxiety is maybe more positive and a little less sarcastic,” said Paul Sirois, an active member of the Edmonton Oilers Diehards group on Facebook.

“It’s been a long wait since we could have positive anticipation instead of just holding our breath. … But even if it’s a slow start, there is enough rationale to anticipate they may recover.”

Sirois is contemplating getting a new customized Milan Lucic jersey, to accompany his 10 other jerseys.

“At some point, it’s a question of closet capacity and do I have the room to add yet more homage to this team,” he said with a laugh.

The greatest Oiler of all time, Wayne Gretzky, said he, too, can feel a shift in fans’ attitudes this fall.

“I think everybody is a lot more comfortable today than a year ago,” Gretzky said. “When you’ve got an elite player like Connor (McDavid) and (Leon) Draisaitl on your side and you’ve got an exciting group and a good goaltender, it’s always fun to go to the arena.”

Tim Shipton, senior vice-president of corporate communications for the Oilers Entertainment Group, said the excitement of the “orange crush” playoff run appears to have continued into the new season. That passion has translated to brisk sales of Oilers gear, particularly the new Adidas jerseys the team is wearing this year.

He said fans looking to acquire some new orange and blue paraphernalia can get it at a pop-up Oilers shop that will be set up in Ford Hall starting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.